Hi Ya'll, another newbie here
10-08-2019, 06:03 PM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,300
Hi, and welcome from Maryland. You have chosen to begin what most quilters will agree is an addictive hobby.
Since this is your very first quilt. I'll offer my two cents.
1. Like others have said, wash your flannel in the washing machine and dry it in the dryer. It will shrink and a lot of lint will come out in your lint traps.
2. There will be more lint as you sew, and it builds up fast. Clean the feed dogs and bobbin area often as you go (maybe once an hour). Write a note to yourself or set a timer to remind yourself to do this. Lint build-up can wreak havoc on the internal parts of your machine. Also, when you clean it out, don't blow into the machine or use compressed air. Those things make the lint wedge further in. Instead, you the lint brush that probably came w/ your machine, or invest in a mini vacuum ($7 or so on Amazon) to get the lint out.
3. I would use Warm and Natural batting. It's soft, lies flat, is easy to work with, and a good weight. I never use anything else, but that's a personal choice. If you use fleece, I would think it would slip around on the flannel and be a frustration.
Best wishes for a happy first time quilting experience!
Since this is your very first quilt. I'll offer my two cents.
1. Like others have said, wash your flannel in the washing machine and dry it in the dryer. It will shrink and a lot of lint will come out in your lint traps.
2. There will be more lint as you sew, and it builds up fast. Clean the feed dogs and bobbin area often as you go (maybe once an hour). Write a note to yourself or set a timer to remind yourself to do this. Lint build-up can wreak havoc on the internal parts of your machine. Also, when you clean it out, don't blow into the machine or use compressed air. Those things make the lint wedge further in. Instead, you the lint brush that probably came w/ your machine, or invest in a mini vacuum ($7 or so on Amazon) to get the lint out.
3. I would use Warm and Natural batting. It's soft, lies flat, is easy to work with, and a good weight. I never use anything else, but that's a personal choice. If you use fleece, I would think it would slip around on the flannel and be a frustration.
Best wishes for a happy first time quilting experience!
10-08-2019, 09:34 PM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 26,066
For a beginner I suggest a cottony batting. Cotton batts “grab” the fabric and keep it from shifting or needing much basting. 100% cotton is rather heavy, but an 80/20 blend is lighter and loftier, yet still has the “grab” property of cotton. It’s easy to quilt.
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